A Tuesday special election in Pittsburgh’s South Hills will determine the next representative for a state House district long held by Democrat Dan Miller. Dormont Democrat Jennifer Mazzocco faces Mt. Lebanon Republican Joseph Leckenby in the contest.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. for voters in the 42nd House district, which includes Baldwin, Castle Shannon, Dormont, and Mt. Lebanon as well as some of Upper St. Clair.
State House speaker Joanna McClinton called for an election to replace Miller after he stepped down in December to become a county judge. Democrats currently hold a two-seat majority in the House after three Republicans and two Democrats resigned to take other jobs late last year.
Pundits expect each party to hold those districts: If so, when the smoke clears from this round of special elections, Democrats will have the same one-seat majority they had in the House last year.
Still, Miller’s resignation gave a second chance to Leckenby, who challenged Miller in 2024 and serves as a local attorney. Miller won that race by a more than 33-point margin after Leckenby ran a write-in campaign.
Leckenby faces Mazzocco, a Dormont borough councilor, who local Democrats chose as their nominee last month.
The district is solidly blue, and mail-in voting suggests Democrats will start the vote counting with an early advantage. Allegheny County officials say that four times as many Democrats as Republicans requested mail-in ballots for the race, and Democrats accounted for an even larger share of ballots that had been returned to the county by Friday.
After Mazzocco emerged as the Democrats’ choice, House speaker McClinton lauded her experience as a union organizer, teacher and Dormont council president.
“She will be a tireless advocate for working families and a leader our House Democratic Caucus will be proud to welcome,” McClinton said in a statement at the time.
Mazzocco previously told WESA her legislative priorities include increasing the minimum wage and building affordable housing.
Allegheny County Republicans rallied around Leckenby, saying in a statement they believe he’ll be a voice for government transparency and boosting the local economy.
“I am ready to be a new voice in Harrisburg,” Leckenby said in the statement. “I will listen to residents across the district — regardless of party affiliation — and work collaboratively to advance practical, common-sense solutions that put our community first.”
Former House member Dan Miller vacated the seat after winning a Common Pleas judgeship last year. He was first elected to the House in 2013 and was promoted among his caucus, eventually becoming the House Democratic whip. Miller championed disability and mental health issues as well as legal system reforms, and advocates say he brings a unique perspective to the bench.
Another special election takes place Tuesday in the Lehigh Valley’s 22nd House District. That seat was vacated by Democrat Josh Siegel, who won his race for Lehigh County executive. Democrats hold a favorable voter registration advantage in that district as well.
But the party can’t take either race for granted. Three more state House special elections are scheduled for March 17 and May 19, in districts where Republicans hold significant voter registration margins.
Chris Potter contributed reporting.